Then again, we might not be in this sorry state if it weren't for Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush and the damage their administrations inflicted on the freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights, which historically served as the bulwark from government abuse.
In the so-called named of national security, since 9/11, the Constitution has been steadily chipped away at, undermined, eroded, whittled down, and generally discarded to such an extent that what we are left with is but a shadow of the robust document adopted more than two centuries ago.
The Bill of Rights--462 words that represent the most potent and powerful rights ever guaranteed to a group of people officially--became part of the U.S. Constitution on December 15, 1791, because early Americans such as James Madison and Thomas Jefferson understood the need to guard against the government's inclination to abuse its power.
Yet the reality we must come to terms with is that in the America we live in today, the government does whatever it wants.
Make no mistake: if our individual freedoms have been restricted, it is only so that the government's powers could be expanded at our expense.
Even so, the power of the police state is dependent on a populace that meekly obeys without question.
Those who founded this country knew quite well that every citizen must remain vigilant or freedom would be lost. As Thomas Paine recognized, "It is the responsibility of the patriot to protect his country from its government."
If there is to be any hope for restoring our freedoms and reclaiming our runaway government, we will have to start by breathing life into those three powerful words that set the tone for everything that follows in the Constitution: "we the people."
People get the government they deserve.
As David Fouse writes for National Review, "A government by the people, for the people, and of the people is only as wise, as just, and as free as the people themselves."
It's up to us.
We have the power to make and break the government.
We the American people--the citizenry--are the arbiters and ultimate guardians of America's welfare, defense, liberty, laws and prosperity.
It's time to stop waiting patiently for change to happen. Do more than grouse and complain.
We must act--and act responsibly.
A healthy, representative government is hard work. It takes a citizenry that is informed about the issues, educated about how the government operates, and willing to make the sacrifices necessary to stay involved, whether that means forgoing Monday night football in order to attend a city council meeting or risking arrest by picketing in front of a politician's office.
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